The curtain has fallen on one of the most defining head coaching tenures in modern Super League history, with Willie Peters bringing his four-year spell in charge of Hull KR to an end.
Under the Australian’s guidance, Rovers underwent a seismic cultural shift.
From lifting major silverware to a remarkable 71% win percentage across four seasons, Peters transformed the Robins from mid-table outsiders into a powerhouse.
Following Hull KR’s play-off exit, Sky Sports pundits Jon Wilkin, Sam Tomkins, and Brian Carney broke down the legacy Peters leaves behind at Sewell Group Craven Park.
‘He gave the fans an identity again’
For Jon Wilkin, the Australian’s impact extended far beyond tactical setups, reconnecting East Hull with its deep rugby league heritage.
“He gave the badge meaning again, the club meaning again. He gave the fans an identity again,” Wilkin said on Sky Sports.
“The club has felt probably never more connected,
“You have to go back to the 80s where you felt the club had connected with the community as much as it has under Willie Peters, and he’s done a mesmerisingly good job and fallen short this year.”
Wilkin added that while the silver service will live long in the memory, it is the intangible culture that defines Peters’ reign:
“With Willie Peters, you look at the trophies, you look at the achievements, but it’s way more than that, isn’t it? I think his legacy is bigger than just the trophies.
“He’s turned Super League players into internationals, and he turned a good Super League player into a Man of Steel.”
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‘You can’t fluke 71%’
Former Man of Steel Sam Tomkins echoed those sentiments, pointing to the relentless standards Peters set on a daily basis as the secret behind his 71% win record.
“That’s massive. Four years, across four seasons. You can’t fluke 71%, can you? You’ve got to put hard work in it,” Tomkins stated.
“Willie Peters is clearly a coach that drives his players really hard, sets really high standards, but meets them himself as well,
“He’s someone that players can believe in and follow.”
Reflecting on whether Peters leaves Rovers in a better place than he found them when taking over ahead of the 2023 campaign, Tomkins insisted the club’s trajectory under his guidance has been unparalleled.
“I think when you sign a coach, you sign him to come and make your team better, make your club better,” Tomkins continued. “Hull KR could not have had a bigger transformation than what Willie Peters has delivered in the last four years of this team.”
“The best coaches get the players playing their best rugby. You have to say, over the last two years, every one of these players has been in career-best form, and that isn’t coincidence. It’s because of what one man [did], because of Willie Peters and the way that he’s treated them.”
Brian Carney praised Peters’ ability to elevate a squad far beyond external expectations, turning promising talent into elite contenders.
“I think as well, if you went to the start of each of the seasons and looked at the squad he had, there’s not many that would have snapped your hand off and said it’s instantly a title-winning squad,” Carney noted. “He has got the very most out of some talented players’ careers.”
While Peters now moves on to his next coaching challenge in the NRL with the PNG Chiefs, his four years at East Hull will stand as a benchmark for how to transform a rugby league club from top to bottom.
Red Robin
September 20, 2026 at 12:04 pm
Wilkin sings the praises of WP for “connecting with the community”, that started and continues with owner Hudgell and Paul Larkin and Sewell. What WP has done is set the standards high and installed belief in the players themselves. There is a lot of investment from the owner and directors in the office field investment as well as on field with the 3G training facilities as well as the shopping development, the investment is set up to be self financially to make the club financially stable and future proofed.
The board of directors have to be credited where credit is due, as coach has installed belief in to the players themselves which goes a long way to success on the field.